Cape May, New Jersey

Saturday, June 11, 2016
We left Delaware City, DE about 5:30 am, with Brenda and Scott, and several other boats. The weather was supposed to be favorable for waves less than a foot.

Leaving Delaware City

Are we awake yet?

Sunrise Saturday as we were entering the Delaware River.

This is Ship John Shoal, it's about a third of the way. By this time, Scott and Brenda had discovered fuel in their bilge, like over 30 gallons of fuel, and had to call Sea Tow to come and get them. We carried on, and the seas continued to increase. 

By this time, I am down below, trying to keep Maggie calm. The waves got about three feet, and were slamming up against the bow, and spraying water all over the windows. Not a fun ride. 

By about 11 am, we were in the cut, headed toward Cape May. No more waves.

There is grass across from the dock we are in, and this Great Egret was busy fishing.

This is the Cape May Marina, taken in the evening.

We walked about a mile to Jackson Street. It's a walking street, lined with shops and restaurants. Cape May is the oldest resort city in the country. There were many old homes that were turned into hotels, and beach shops. Lots of people.

There were cool old houses everywhere.

This one was a restaurant.

This was a bed and breakfast.

Some had several apartments in them.

Sunday, June 12th, the wind is whipping with gusts to about 30 knots. We haven't seen wind this bad since we were in the panhandle of Florida.

Waiting in Delaware

Monday, June 6, 2016, we left Dundalk, Maryland for our final cruise in the Chesapeake Bay, and into the C & D Canal toward Delaware. It was pretty calm, and nice to be able to see land; this part of the Chesapeake is much narrower than the parts we have been on further south.

In the C & D Canal.

Great Blue Heron

The canal is man made, it connects the Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware Bay, and is 14 miles long.

Now we are in a marina off the Delaware River, in Delaware City, Delaware. We are exploring while we wait for the Delaware Bay to be calmer. The marina owner gives a brief every night, and shows how the current mixes with the winds and the surf from the Atlantic, making for a very precarious situation in the Delaware Bay. We are going to wait as long as it takes.

There is a nice board walk that goes along the downtown area, all the way to the marina.

Bob's Bird House, only Thunderbirds inside.

This is Fort Delaware, which was a prison camp in the Civil War. Most of the Confederate soldiers captured at Gettysburg were housed here, 12,500 at one point. German POWs housed at Fort Dupont did maintenance work here, and some of their names are scratched into the walls.

Wednesday morning, June 8th, a storm blew in.

It was pretty scary, high winds and lots of rain.

After the storm, we took an Uber cab (first bad experience with Uber, the driver was dangerous, terrible) to a ginormous mall with a Nordstrom in Newark, Delaware. We shopped, saw a movie and had a nice dinner at Firebird's, a place recommended by the dockmaster for our 20th anniversary.

Thursday night we had to try Crabby Dick's. It seems to be the hub of the town, it is housed in an old hotel building. We had, you'll never guess, crab! And Mohitos, and rock fish.

Celebrating a Birthday with Friends

Saturday, June 4th, the night before Robbie's birthday, our friend Kim, who we've known since the early eighties, drove here from McLean, Virginia with her husband and two children. What a fun, fabulous way to celebrate!

Elise, Kim, Farzin, and Alex

We had dinner at the Hard Yacht Cafe

Kim and Farzin

After dinner, we had dessert on the boat. They brought us Spanish wines, champagne, a French chocolate cake and two kinds of gelato!

Then on Sunday, June 5th, Bob and Debby Matthews drove from their home in Brambleton, Virginia to see us. More celebrating!

We knew Bob in Spain, where he was stationed with us in Rota. Then the four of us all lived in the San Diego area for several years. It's always good to see them!

They brought us wine from a winery near their home. We have enough wine to get us through the summer!

Lunch at the Hard Yacht!

Scary looking storm came through tonight.

The storm passed with just some rain and wind. Left behind some beautiful clouds.

How much crab and wine can one eat in a 24 hour period? I am finding out! One last get together with our boating buddies, before a possible departure on Monday. Happy Birthday Robbie!

Galesville to Dundalk, Maryland

Tuesday, May 31, we left Solomons and went to Galesville, Maryland.

We met these two couples at Pirates Cove Marina in Galesville, they are doing the loop in one boat. 

Wednesday, June 1, we got back in the Chesapeake, and went to Dundalk, Maryland, just outside of Baltimore.

A lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay, another smooth ride.

Here is Cathleen and Steve, in a boat exactly like ours. 

This, and the photos below, are all different parts of the same HUGE bridge, the William Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, which stretches across the Chesapeake Bay, just south of Baltimore. William Preston Lane Jr. was a former governor of Maryland. It is also known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

We turned up the Patapsco River, then into Bear Creek toward Anchor Bay East Marina. 

Two other couples, who we met at Thunderbolt Marina near Savannah, Georgia, both arrived here! They hadn't met each other, but we are spending some time together now. All of us are doing the loop, and heading the same direction, on slightly different schedules. From left, Scott, Steve, Cathleen and Brenda. Here we are at the Hard Yacht Cafe.

Drinks and snacks on our boat.

Tomorrow, more friends arrive!